The subject invention relates to a connection between a support, for example, a part of a motor vehicle body, and a plate element, for example, a door panelling. The connection broadly comprises an upper part attachable via an attachment zone and a contact zone for a holding part which is connectable with the support.
It has been suggested that a connection element of the type referred to above can be designed in such manner that the upper part has a wall with locking ribs on the interior that can be embedded in cooperating locking ribs arranged at the head piece of the holding element (German Patent 43 30 102.9-24). With such a construction, there exists significant tolerance compensation in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the connection element.
The prior art also includes a connection with an upper part attachable to a plate element, a center part, and a holding element (see DE 40 14 589 C1 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,223). With such a construction, a tolerance compensation, required specifically in the motor vehicle industry, is generally only possible in the plane which extends parallel to the support, i.e., transverse to the longitudinal axis of the connection element.
It is the object of the present invention to design a connection of the above-discussed type such that, in addition to improved ease of installation, increased tolerance compensation is achieved, particularly in the motor vehicle industry with respect to attachment of motor vehicle door panelling that are subjected to significant temperature stresses.
The object is achieved according to the invention in that the contact zone of the upper part consists of two pockets arranged above one another and are separated by a cross-piece. The cooperating holding piece is fitted above its support connectable attachment zone with two axially spaced flanges insertable in the pockets transverse to the longitudinal direction with the flanges having different elasticities.
Due to the combination of the noted characteristics of the connection system according to the invention, there results the benefit of simple installation as a result of the lateral insertion of the holding piece into the pockets. Moreover, cause of the specific design of the pockets and the flanges, further improvement of the attachment results especially when used for joining a door panelling to a body part of a motor vehicles wherein temperature cycling takes place.
The attachment zone can be designed as an anchor or a cylinder base having elastic locking elements which are embeddable behind an aperture of a support member. Above the attachment zone there may be a circumferential, elastic sealing lip which is joined to flanges via joining necks. In such an arrangement, the lower flange may be a rigid plate, whereas the upper flange may be equipped with an elastic center zone. The elasticity of the center zone may, for example, be produced via spirally-wound arms which connect with an outer ring.
Still other advantages and benefits of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed description.